Prescribing
Prescribing controlled substances, virtually.
Telehealth prescribing sits at the intersection of expanded access and federal control. The DEA has issued a series of rules reshaping how controlled substances can be prescribed via telemedicine — with direct consequences for telehealth providers, telemental health, and opioid-use-disorder treatment.
New DEA Rules
Three rules reshaping telehealth prescribing
Each rule has a free CTeL fact sheet — find all three on our DEA page.
Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine
Practitioners can prescribe FDA-approved Schedule III–V medications for opioid use disorder via telehealth — including audio-only visits. Initial prescriptions can span up to six months without an in-person evaluation, backed by mandatory PDMP reviews.
Special Registrations for Telemedicine
A new framework that would let telehealth practitioners prescribe controlled substances responsibly, with enhanced compliance requirements, recordkeeping, and reporting protocols.
Continuity of Care for VA Patients
VA practitioners can prescribe controlled substances to VA patients via telemedicine without a prior in-person evaluation — provided they review the VA EHR and state PDMP data first.
At a Glance
The DEA telehealth-prescribing timeline
Compliance Essentials
What every telehealth prescriber must do
Whatever the rule, the DEA's telemedicine framework rests on a consistent set of prescriber obligations designed to expand access while guarding against misuse and diversion.
- DEA registration — and full compliance with applicable state prescribing laws.
- Mandatory PDMP checks — query the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program before prescribing.
- Identity verification — confirm patient legitimacy, with pharmacists verifying identity before dispensing.
- Documentation — keep records of every telemedicine interaction for audit purposes.
Controlled Substances
The DEA rules, rule by rule
The DEA's final rule balances expanded access with the need to prevent misuse — setting out flexibilities, limitations, safeguards, and prescriber responsibilities in detail. CTeL also maintains a 50-State Survey on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth.
- Telemedicine flexibilities — when a controlled substance can be prescribed without an in-person visit.
- Controlled-substance limitations — limits on types, quantities, and prescription durations.
- Patient safeguards — identity verification and documentation of medical necessity.
- Prescriber responsibilities — registration, recordkeeping, and PDMP review.
The rules keep moving. So do we.
Prescribe with confidence.
CTeL members get plain-language fact sheets and the latest DEA prescribing intelligence.